Donald Trump Jr., President Trump’s eldest son, blasted Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) on Wednesday for saying that he might be willing to support Trump’s reelection in 2020.
Trump Jr. apparently took issue with Manchin’s new comments in an interview with Politico, where the senator said he was “open to supporting the person who I think is best for my country and my state.”
{mosads}
In a string of tweets Wednesday, Trump Jr., accused Manchin of political doublespeak, arguing that it’s “time for some new blood” in the state. Trump Jr. is supporting West Virginia GOP nominee Patrick Morrisey, with whom he hit the campaign trail on Tuesday.
“What a joke. You can’t go ‘Full #MAGA’ in WV while voting against Tax Cuts, voting for excessive regulations, and voting with [Sen.] Bernie Sanders [I-Vt.] more than you do with POTUS,” Trump Jr. tweeted, a reference to the Politico story’s headline, “Manchin goes full MAGA.”
“It’s time for someone who will vote with [Trump],” he added.
Manchin has had a hot and cold relationship with Trump as he walks a tightrope in a state the president won handily in 2016. In the Politico story, Manchin is quoted saying he debated pulling his endorsement of Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton in 2016 and that he could be open to endorsing Trump in 2020.
Morrisey also hit Manchin for his interview, arguing in a statement that he’s only expressing his concerns about backing Clinton because “his political career is in jeopardy.”
He’s also sought to display a public closeness with the president — tweeting out and then deleting a picture of the two men together giving a thumbs-up gesture, replacing it with one with the two standing next to each other. He also regularly points to conversations he’s had with the president and has voted for some of Trump’s more controversial nominees.
Democrats believe the push-and-pull is indicative of Manchin’s unique spot in the Democratic party, where he’s been willing to carve out a moderate niche that has kept him in power in a state that continues to shift to the right.
But Republicans argue his overtures to Trump are attempts to mislead voters. Vice President Pence blasted Manchin in January during a speech in West Virginia for voting against the GOP tax-cut plan, making it clear the White House had its eye on the vulnerable Democrat.